


City Lights

by porcelain_moon



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-03-11
Packaged: 2018-05-15 11:18:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5783380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/porcelain_moon/pseuds/porcelain_moon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sarah has suffered some major grief in her recent past. She moves to New York with her cousin Whitley to start over fresh. Little does she know that thanks to Whitley, her life will soon change forever. Turtles/OCs</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

Growing up I was always very close with my first cousin, Whitley. We had grown up basically like sisters since our mother’s lived together in the family house in Louisiana. They had both inherited it from my grandmother when she died. Since neither one of them were married at the time they just decided to live together. I loved having my aunt Mary and cousin in the house with us all the time. The house was old and way out in the middle of swamp land. Both being perfectly terrifying to a six year old. Whitley and I shared a room and it made growing up on the bayou not so scary. When we were eight years old my aunt Mary got really close to a guy named Jeff. They grew so close that she married him not long after they started dating. The day of the wedding they packed up all their stuff in a truck and moved to New York; leaving me and my mom alone in the old house. Whitley and I drifted apart not long after she moved away. The only time I ever heard from her was in the Christmas cards that aunt Mary sent out every December. 

And now they’re all standing in my living room like we hadn’t been separated for fourteen years.

Roughly a year ago, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Even after she went through all the treatments available she just wasn’t able to pull through in the end. So now everyone is in my living room just a few short hours after the burial of my mother. I watched in silence as my relatives hugged and wept on each other’s shoulders. Seeing their grief and feeling my own gnawing a hole in my heart was too much for me to handle, so I quickly turned on my heel and bolted up the stairs.  
My bed creaked when I slammed myself onto it. I buried my face in my pillow and let out a loud scream. I couldn’t cry anymore, the only thing I could do was scream. At some point I must have fallen asleep because when I looked toward the window it was pitch black outside. I rolled back over and went to sleep. I woke up again when it was light outside but I didn’t bother to get up. I didn’t get out of bed for the next two weeks, except for the occasional trip to the bathroom or fridge.  
Around the middle of the third week I couldn’t stand lying in my room anymore so I got up and went downstairs. The sun had just set behind the trees casting the house in shadow. Something I hated still to this day. I flipped on the kitchen and living room lights. It only helped a little.  
I brewed a pot of coffee and sat myself down at the kitchen table. The clock on the wall read eight PM. Usually at this time mom was just coming home from her shift at the diner and I was leaving for my shift at the bar. We would share some gossip over a quick cup of coffee and she’d wait up for me to come home later that night. I let out a shaky sigh and sipped my hot coffee. As I stared at the peeling floral wallpaper the realization that I can’t stay here hit me like a ton of bricks. At least, I can’t stay here right now. It hurts too much.

 

I was working on my second cup of coffee when I heard a knock rattle the screen door. I walked through the hall and to the backdoor. I flicked on the porch light only to see Whitley’s shining blonde hair and smile just beyond the screen door. My face broke into a smile, possibly the first smile in over a month. She pulled open the door and stepped into the house.

“Glad to see you up.” She stated as she walked past me and into the kitchen.

“I thought you were back in New York.” I replied.

“And leave you like this?” She shook her head as she poured herself a cup of coffee. “No. I don’t think so.”

I joined her at the kitchen table. We sat in an awkward silence for what felt like an eternity. After so long I couldn’t take the deafening quiet anymore, so I finally broke the silence.

“So, how is life in the city?”

“Great. I love living in the city, I recently opened my own café.” She smiled, obviously proud of herself.

Whitley was exactly the way she was when we were eight. Freckles were splashed across her nose and she still talked with the same amount of high energy. 

“I have my own apartment. Well it’s not my own per say,” She waved her hands around dramatically when she spoke. “I have two roommates.”

“I think I’m gonna need a roommate.” I responded. “Remember how much I hated being alone here?”

Whitley looked around at the gloomy old house, with its creaking boards and faded wallpaper. She shivered a little. “I always hated being alone here too.”

A silence fell over us again. I sipped my coffee and she cleared her throat.

“Do you want to come and stay with me in New York?” 

I almost choked on my coffee. I had never been out of Louisiana. New York? I would never survive there!

“I…I- I don’t think I can…”

“Why not? I mean, what is keeping you here?”

I thought it over…the only thing I have here is my job and it’s not the greatest in the world. There is really no reason why I couldn’t move to New York.

“There is an extra bedroom that no one is using, since our last roommate moved out.” She placed her hand on mine. “Please, Sarah? It’ll be good for you to get out of this swamp for a little while.” She laughed a little when she put emphasis on swamp. 

I stared out at the willow trees in the front yard shining in the light of the moon. Moving to New York with Whitley felt right. I was always one to go with my gut feeling, so I made my decision to leave Louisiana behind.

“I want to go to New York with you.” I stated.

She squealed and reached across the table to hug me. 

“You’re going to want to start packing, I’ve got to be back in a few days and I figured we could take your truck so you can have it in the city. You won’t really need it much unless you need to go out of town.” She laughed again.

“How long will it take to get there?”

“Oh, you know, only about seventeen hours.” 

“Jesus Christ! Seventeen hours?” I exclaimed in horror.

“It’s not so bad. We can catch up on the way there.” She smiled.

I smiled again too. My heart was still heavy with grief but I had a strong feeling that mom would be proud of me.

“I’m going to go pack. We can head out tonight if you want.” I said to her.

“Sure! While you’re packing, I’m going to order a pizza.” She pulled her phone out and dialed the number to the local pizzeria. 

I headed upstairs and pulled my suitcases out of my closet. I wouldn’t be able to put everything of mine in them. So I would only pack the things I have to have. I started by pulling all the clothes from my closet and stuffing them into a bag. 

“Sarah!” I heard Whitley’s voice carry up the stairs. “I’m gonna go get the pizza, I forgot that they don’t deliver out this far. I’m also going to swing by my hotel and get my things! Be back soon!” 

“Okay! Be careful!” I yelled back.

I heard her fire up the old truck that my Grandpa had handed down to me. It sputtered for just a moment and rumbled out of the drive way. I continued stuffing clothes into the suitcases till they were full to bursting. I left one bag aside for shoes and a backpack for my laptop and a few other miscellaneous things like, CDs, movies and books. Once all the bags were full I stepped back and stared at my room. I wouldn’t be back here for a while. I blew a strand of hair from my face and swung my backpack onto my back. I carried my bags downstairs and sat them at the backdoor. Whitley should be back any minute. So I went and sat back down at the kitchen table to wait for her. 

 

I was completely lost in thought when a noise sounded throughout the kitchen, causing me to jump. Whitley’s phone was vibrating on the table. I glanced at the screen, it was lit up with the name Leonardo displaying. I was having an internal debate to answer it when it abruptly stopped ringing. 

“I’m baaack!” Whitley yelled from the door.

“No need to yell,” I laughed. “I’m in the kitchen.”

“You pack really fast.” She replied, pointing to all my bags stacked up beside the door.

“I only packed the basics. I’ll come back down for the rest some other time.”

“Well…you ready to go? We got a tasty pizza in the car.” She smiled.

“Now or never.” I stated with an unsure smile.

We loaded my bags in the bed of the truck before getting settled in the cracked and worn leather seats. I stuck the key in the ignition and the Chevy roared to life.

“Do you think this old thing will make it to New York?” I laughed.

“Of course! This truck is the most reliable pile of rust in America.” 

We both laughed as I picked up speed on the road. For the first time in these few weeks I felt like things were going to be okay. Once on the interstate we rolled up our windows and Whit passed me a slice of pizza. She rifled through the old selection of cassette tapes in the glove box. Not even a second later and Creedence Clearwater Revival was streaming from the speakers. 

“I can’t believe these old tapes still play.”

“I know. They’re ancient.” I responded.

I turned the music down a little, “Hey Whit…”She looked up from the tapes at me. “Who is Leonardo?”  
She looked confused for a moment, “How do you know about Leonardo? I didn’t tell you about him.” 

“Oh well, you left your phone at the house earlier. Your screen said it was someone named Leonardo.”

An ear to ear smile broke across her face before she responded, “Leonardo is my fiancé.”

“Really? Why didn’t you tell me you were engaged?”

“Well…I…it just seemed inappropriate to bring it up.” She looked back down at the tapes and I realized what she was saying.

“Not inappropriate at all. I’m so happy for you!” I looked over at her and the smile came back to her face. “You can tell me anything. Seriously, I want to know the full story.” 

A look of excitement passed over her features. 

“I wanted to tell you so bad! He just proposed two months ago so the whole engagement thing still feels so new!” She gushed.

“How long have you two been together?” 

“We’ve been together since we were sixteen. I met him early one morning when I was on my way home from a party. It was probably about four in the morning and I was in a seriously sketchy part of town.” 

I urged her to continue. “I was headed to the subway when I was ambushed by a group of guys. They were putting their hands all over me and one of them busted my lip.”

I gasped, “How did you get away?”

“Well, that’s how I met Leonardo. He saved me.” She had a dreamy look in her eyes. “He beat the crap out of them and basically carried me to safety. He was awkward around me at first but I kind of forced him to open up to me.” She laughed. “We’ve been pretty much inseparable since that night.”

“What does Aunt Mary and Jeff think of him?” 

“Well…they kind of sort of haven’t met him yet.”

“How could they not have met a guy you’ve been with for the past seven years?”

She let out a sigh, “It’s complicated.”

I could tell that it was something she didn’t want to talk about so I dropped it for now.

“So what about you, you have any romantic tales for me?” She asked.

I scoffed, “Oh yeah, tons of them.”

“Well go on, tell me!”

“I was being sarcastic, Whitley.” I replied.

“Oh. Well why not?”

“Ugh. I dunno, I guess I just never really met a guy that captured my interest. I dated Jimmy Coots for a while. Don’t even get me started on how horrible that was.” I replied.

“Oh my Gooooood. You dated Jimmy Coots? Remember when we told him there was a twenty foot catfish in the pond in front of your house? He stood there for hours with a fishing pole trying to catch it.” She laughed at the memory.

“Yes I remember that. He brought that up quite a bit while we were dating. All the pranks we pulled on him made his childhood a living hell. Those were his actual words.” I said trying hard to stop laughing.

“He was just so gullible!” Whitley stated, swatting tears from her eyes.

Our conversation was interrupted when her phone started vibrating in her lap. She quickly put it up to her ear.

“Hey babe!” She squealed into the phone.

I could hear a deep voice mumble through the phone, though I couldn’t make out anything he was saying.

“I know…I miss you too. I’ll be back in New York soon though. We’re on our way right now.”

I clearly heard him say ‘we?’ through the phone. 

“Oh yeah, I didn’t tell you. My cousin Sarah is coming to stay in the spare room at the apartment.” 

Their conversation continued for a few more minutes before she finally said ‘I love you’ and hung up the phone. 

“Awwwww.” I crooned.

“I know, I know. We are just too sweet.” She laughed at herself.

We drove all throughout the night, only stopping twice to fill up the tank. The sun was starting to rise and I felt a rumble in my stomach.

“Want to stop for breakfast?”

“Yes. I’m ravenous.” She responded.

I took the next interstate exit and pulled into the waffle house located right off the side of the road. Once at the booth we ordered our food and some coffee.

“So what is Leonardo like?” 

“He is ridiculously sweet and thoughtful, though sometimes he can be a little too serious.” She smiled at the thought of her fiancé. “He lives with his three brothers.” Then she lowered her head and whispered, “They’re ninjas.”

I almost laughed out loud but the complete serious look on her face told me that this wasn’t a joke.

“Seriously? Like, for real ninjas?” 

She nodded her head yes, “That’s how Leo saved me from that group of guys.”

“Oooooh.” Was the only thing to come out of my mouth.

Silence passed over us for a moment before I was finally able to speak up.

“Do you have a picture of him?”

“NO!” She almost yelled. “Sorry…I mean, no I don’t have any of him. He hates having his picture taken.”

“Well, I hope you plan on introducing him to me at some point. I don’t want to meet him ten years down the road after you’re married and have a bunch of kids.” I joked.

“You’ll meet him…I just don’t know when.” She mumbled.

I was going to pry a little deeper about Leonardo but was interrupted by the waiter bringing over our food. We didn’t talk while we ate. We ate fast, barely taking a breath between bites. When it was time to pay, Whitley paid for both our checks before I could even get out my wallet. 

“You didn’t have to pay for me.”

“I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to.” She smiled.

The rest of our trip we reminisced about our lives over the past few years. Though we both have changed so much we both still have so much in common. We both love coffee, yoga, books, romance, and wine. We have the same taste in movies and music and we had both graduated from college and settled into a job. Only her job was much more successful than mine. I was working the graveyard shift at a veteran dive bar and she was running her very own restaurant. 

“You know…I could use an expert bar tender at the restaurant.”

“Really? I would love to bar tend for you.” I replied with a giant grin on my face.

“I figure a hot bartender might bring in business.” She giggled.

“Psht. I am sooo not hot.”

“Your self-esteem has always sucked. You’ve never been able to see how pretty you are.”

I just don’t see what she is talking about. With my long brown hair, pale skin and brown eyes, I think I’m very average looking.

“You have always been the pretty one.” I responded.

“Nope, I’m pretty sure we have both always been the pretty ones.” She laughed.

“I wish I had your confidence.” I stated.

We rode in silence for a while before finally driving past the New York state line sign. She cheered and gave a quick call to Leonardo. She chatted with him excitedly for the rest of the car ride to the city. I was glad she was on the phone with him though, because I was rendered speechless by the towering buildings all around and the people bustling through the busy streets. 

She motioned towered a parking garage a few blocks down, “You can park your truck in there for free since you’re going to be living in the apartment now.”  
I nodded and pulled into the dark parking garage. I was lucky that I got a parking spot so close to the apartment building since we both had lots of luggage to carry in. 

“I’m on the top floor, so be prepared to break a sweat. The elevator is usually out.” She said as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

“We’ll have to make two trips for all of these bags.” I stated.

“Let’s get to it. I’m probably gonna go to bed when we get inside.”

“Same. I’ll just pass out in the floor.” We both laughed as we carried the bags up the stairs to her floor.

When we stopped at her door so she could unlock it, we were both out of breath. She pulled open the door to the apartment and we dragged out bags inside. We entered through the kitchen and off to the side was a decent sized living room. The space was very open and through the blinds of the glass door I could see a balcony just on the other side. The kitchen was full of upscale appliances and against the wall of the living room was a giant flat screen. 

“Wow.” I stated in awe.

“I know.” She replied. “My roommate Clara is a chef. She makes quite a bit of money so she spoils us.” 

We left the living room and made our way down a short hallway. She pushed open the door at the very end on the left. 

“This will be your room.”

I sat my bags down on the floor and stepped over to the window that overlooked the city below. 

“It’s so much to take in.” I stated.

“You’ll get used to it, in time. It took me forever to be able to fall asleep without the sounds of crickets chirping.”

“I bet I’ll have the same problem. The crickets and frogs are my sleep soundtrack.” I laughed.

Once we had carried all the bags inside the apartment, I was left to get settled into my room. I didn’t get the chance to meet my other new roommates. Whitley had explained that Clara and Tori were spending the weekend with their boyfriends. I unpacked all my shoes and clothes and placed them in the closet. Eventually I ran out of hangers to put clothes on so I folded the rest and put them back into my bags. I was exhausted so I decided to take a break. Whitley had left me an air mattress to sleep on and I was grateful that it inflated itself when I plug it into the wall. It blew up into a decent sized mattress and once I had a nice sheet and blanket on top, it was decently comfortable. I placed the blanket on top of me and snuggled into a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter Two

The bright lights of the city were streaming into my dark room when I woke up later that night. I got up and pulled my pants back on before leaving my room. The rest of the house was pitch black and I had to feel my way through to the living room. I flicked the light on and let my eyes adjust. To my left was a leather couch with a blanket draped over one corner. I flopped down onto the couch and pulled the blanket on top of me and switched on the TV. I flipped through a few channels and landed on the news. I was curious to see what was happening in a city this large. A pretty news reporter by the name of April O’Neil was giving a report on some gang called the purple dragons. She then mentioned another clan by the name of the foot. 

“It seems that these two dangerous groups have joined forces and have been terrorizing this city in a string of robberies and disappearances. Take caution when venturing out of your homes at night.” She stated in a very serious voice.

What have I gotten myself into? The only thing I had to worry about in Louisiana was hurricanes and gators. Now I’ve got to worry about getting mugged when I leave my home. I shut off the TV and went into the kitchen to find something to eat. I decided on Lucky Charms so I poured myself a bowl and sat at the small kitchen island. Just down the hall I could see a light on in Whitley’s room. I wondered if she was awake. Once I had finished my bowl of cereal I tiptoed down the hallway and to Whitley’s room. I could hear whispering just beyond the door. I tried to make out what she was saying but all I could hear was mumbles. 

“Uh…Whit? Are you awake?” I knocked on the door.

I heard some frantic whispering before hearing her say, “Just a second!”

She opened the door with her hair disheveled and her tank top askew. 

“Oh, sorry.” I said feeling a bit awkward when I realized she must be in there with Leonardo. “Is uhm…your fiancé in there?” 

I could feel my cheeks getting hot when all the blood in my body began working its way up to my face.

She shook her head hurriedly, “Oh, no no no.” She laughed nervously, “He’s not here.”

I looked past her and into her room, it was empty but her window was standing wide open and the curtains were blowing in the breeze. 

“Uh, did…did he go out the window?” I asked incredulously. If he was a ninja I don’t see why that would be such an impossibility. 

Whitley looked down at her feet before mumbling out, “Yes.”

“Why? He didn’t have to do that! Why don’t you want anyone to meet him?” I laughed in disbelief. 

She groaned and walked past me and to the kitchen, leaving me staring from the doorway. When I joined her in the kitchen she pulled down two wine glasses and poured the rich   
red liquid into each glass. We both pulled up a bar stool and sat across from each other at the table. She took one big drink of her wine before speaking.

“Leo is a lot different from us.” She said, looking at me seriously.

I was confused. “Like what kind of different? I don’t understand…does he have some kind of deformity that you’re ashamed of? Because I don’t care about crap like that and you should know that….and shame on you for being ashamed.” I ended my rant because Whitley was laughing her head off.

I just stared at her until she stopped laughing and she finally sputtered out, “He’s not deformed and no I’m not ashamed of him. I just don’t know how you’ll react when you meet him.”

“Have your other roommates met him?” 

“Yes, actually they’re dating his brothers.”

“Well…how did they react when they met him? I still don’t understand what you mean…is he like horribly ugly or something?” I questioned.

“No, well, I don’t think he’s ugly. I think he’s incredibly handsome. They reacted almost the same way I did when I met him for the first time. They were shocked at first, but soon realized that he is sweet and kind. Clara actually fainted when she met him and his brothers for the first time.”

My mind was racing. She fainted? “Ugh…I don’t get it.”

She laughed at me again. “You’ll understand what I mean when you meet them.”

“Well when the Hell will that be?”

“I’m not sure. I will have to speak with them first. They don’t meet very many people.” She responded quietly. 

“Okay…so they don’t meet many people and they make people faint? I don’t understand and I’m done trying to figure it out for right now. My brain hurts.” I said as I downed my glass of wine.

“I’m going to go back to my room now, he has uhm…missed me a lot.” She said with a smirk.

I laughed as she sauntered out of the kitchen and into her bedroom. Once I was alone in the kitchen I downed the rest of the wine and went back to my room for some sleep. 

[Raphael’s POV]

I rolled over in bed and glared at the alarm clock glaring in bright red that it was four thirty A.M and I have now been trying to fall asleep for the past four hours. I have been battling insomnia for the past few weeks. I can’t figure out what it is that is keeping me awake at night…but it is really starting to take a toll on my fighting and concentration. Earlier today I was brought down by a few measly foot soldiers. I let out a frustrated growl and left the warmth of my bed for the kitchen. I rifled through the fridge for a bottle of water. 

Bottle of water in hand, I walked back to my bedroom. A light shined bright from under Michelangelo’s bedroom door. Tori must be staying over. 

“I guess I’m not the only one losing sleep tonight.” I mumbled as I pushed open the door to my room.   
It’s not something that I would ever admit to anyone…but I’m incredibly lonely. Each of my brothers have someone and I’m alone. I lay back down in bed and took a quick swig of water before rolling over and fighting to fall asleep.


	3. Chapter Three

I was roused from my sleep by a few light knocks on my bedroom door. 

“Get up lazybones! We’re headed to the restaurant.” I heard Whitley’s voice chime from the other side.

I grumbled something incoherent and shuffled to the door. Just beyond the wooden frame stood Whitley already completely dressed and ready to go for the day. 

“Wow. That is some serious bed head.” She stated with a laugh.

“I’m gonna get a shower.” I mumbled as I made my way to the restroom.

“Towels are under the sink and you can use any of the products you want.” She said as I closed the bathroom door.

I quickly stripped out of my pajamas and stepped into the steaming hot water. It was so incredibly soothing on my stiff muscles from the drive up. I lathered my hair with some wonderful smelling rose shampoo and washed my body in an amazing honeysuckle body scrub. Once I felt completely squeaky clean I stepped out and wrapped myself in a towel.   
I cleared the mirror of steam and took a long look at myself. I had light bags under my eyes, but other than that I was looking a little less gaunt than usual. I sighed and set to blow drying my hair. After thirty minutes of primping I deemed myself ready to face the day. Whitley was sitting on the couch staring intently at her phone. She glanced up when she heard me enter the room. 

“Ready to go?”

“Yes. I’m ready to see more of the city.” I said with a trill of excitement to my voice.

“I’m so happy to see you smiling.” She said as she slung her purse over her shoulder. 

**

“So…how was your night?” I asked her as we walked the streets of New York.

“Wonderful.” Her voice had a dreamy quality to it.

“Did you ask him about me meeting him and his brothers?”

“I did. He said he would speak with his sensei about it.”

“Well hopefully he says yes, because otherwise I’m just going to force myself into your group. I mean think about it, I’m going to be the odd one out.”

“You know….one of his brothers is single.” 

“Ugh, for real Whit. I don’t want to date right now.”

“You don’t even want to know what he’s like?” She prodded.

“No.” I stated bluntly.

She was about to retort but instead turned her attention to the building we were coming up on. It was a dark brick building with a purple letterhead that read ‘Lush’. 

“This is it!” She smiled as she opened the front doors. 

I followed her in and was astounded at how beautiful the inside of the restaurant was. It was dimly lit, and booths lined the walls with a few tables scattered across the solid black floor. I was most impressed by the bar, which was a deep cherry wood, lined with dark purple bar stools. The alcohol behind the bar was almost as impressing as the restaurant itself. Every bottle was a top shelf liquor, not to mention the cold case full of expensive wines. This bar was every bartenders dream. 

As I was making over the bar, Whitley tossed an apron at me. 

“You can get behind there tonight if you’d like.” She smiled.

“I’d love to! This is the most amazing bar I’ve ever seen!” I quickly tied the apron around my waist. “I’m so proud of you, Whit. You have really done well for yourself.”

Whitley blushed a little before responding, “I’ve got a ton of paperwork to get caught up on in my office. I should be done in a couple hours though. We’ll probably be pretty slow tonight considering that it’s a Wednesday.” She laughed.

Once Whitley was back in her office I grabbed a menu from one of the tables. I scanned it over to see if there were any signature drinks, the only one was a drink called ‘ninja’. I laughed and shook my head. She really is crazy about that guy. After looking over the menu a few times I went back behind the bar to examine all of the products. Amongst the top shelf liquors I did notice a few cheaper brands that weren’t displayed. I felt a little relieved, I wasn’t used to serving to only wealthy people. The majority of my customers back in Louisiana were bums. I laughed a little to myself as I poured myself a tiny bit of Moscato. 

Time passed really quickly and before I knew it, it was time to open. I had already met a few of the waitresses and really enjoyed their company. I could tell that I was going to love working here. Within the first hour of my first ever shift I was completely slammed with drink orders. I was baffled considering that Whitley had told me it would be a slow night. Clearly she wasn’t expecting this kind of turn out on a Wednesday. The night passed so quickly that it was mostly a blur. But around ten thirty that night things began to slow down and the crowd started to thin out. I was washing a few glasses when Whitley joined me at the bar.

“How was your first night?” She asked sympathetically. 

“I guess you saw how busy it was.” I said with a laugh. “It was good though, I love working in a fast paced environment.”

“Sorry I couldn’t get finished with all the paperwork in time to help out.” She replied

“Don’t worry about it Whit. You had been out of the restaurant for three weeks, it’s understandable that you’d be super busy your first night back here.”

“Thanks for being so understanding.” She said as she pulled me into a hug, “Well, I’m out of here for the night. I’m going to meet Leo at his place, I probably won’t be back till morning.”

“Okay, I’ll just finish closing up here. I’ll see you in the morning.” I replied with a smile.

She gave me one more tight hug before leaving. I finished cleaning the glasses and wiped down the bar before flicking off the lights. I said bye to the few waitresses that remained as they walked out the door. After locking the front door behind them I exited out the back door so I could toss the trash into the dumpster. It was oddly quiet in the alleyway behind the restaurant. So quiet that it made the little hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I quickly walked out onto the busy sidewalk to get away from the grim quiet of the city alley.

Even among the throngs of people crowded on the sidewalk I still felt on edge. I could feel eyes on me. I glanced around to see a hooded figure following me a little too close for comfort. I picked up my pace, maybe I was just being paranoid. I was getting closer to the apartment building, but the closer I got the more the crowd of people started thinning out. I started to panic. I couldn’t turn around because the man in black was closer to me than ever. I could see the apartment, I was almost there…that’s when I felt a hand close over my mouth. 

The man in black dragged me into the parking garage beside the apartment and started ripping my shirt off. I kneed him in the stomach before I started running toward the stairs. 

I didn’t make it very far before he caught up to me again. He tackled me to the ground and I was able to let out a terrified scream before he started trying to pull off my pants. I was thrashing and kicking him as hard as I could, but I just couldn’t shake him. I was beginning to lose hope when suddenly he was pulled from me and thrown down the stairs. I saw a glint of silver and a flash of green but in all the panic I couldn’t exactly make out who my savior was. In a matter of moments my attacker was knocked out and tied up as the mystery man who saved me disappeared into the shadows. 

But before he could disappear completely I heard a very Brooklyn accent call out, “Call the cops, they’ll take care of him.”


	4. Chapter Four

I pulled out my cell phone in a kind of haze. Did that really just happen? The tied up man in front of me confirmed that it had indeed really happened. I dialed 911 and told the woman on the other end that a man had attacked me but that he was tied up and knocked out thanks to a helpful stranger. She assured me that a patrol car was on its way. While waiting for the police to arrive, I stood in silence watching the unconscious man, scared that at any second he would wake up and somehow remove his bindings to attack me.   
“Oh my gosh, what happened?” A voice startled me out of my thoughts.  
I turned with wide eyes to see who the voice belonged to. My eyes fell on a petite girl with curly red hair and bright blue eyes framed in black rimmed glasses. I stood speechless for a moment, waiting for my heart to stop racing.  
“I’m sorry if I scared you.” She replied.  
“Oh no, that’s okay. I’m just a little shaken up. That man attacked me, but before he could do any damage someone saved me and tied him up. I’m just waiting for the police to get here.”  
“I’m sorry to hear that, sweetie. I can stay here with you until they get here if you’d like.”   
I thought it over, I would feel much better waiting for the cops with someone with me.   
“I’d like that. There’s power in numbers, right?”  
She laughed, “Even if there is only two of us.” She reached out her hand for me to shake it, “I’m Clara, apartment 5B.”  
“You’re Clara? I’m Sarah, your new roommate.”  
“I was wondering when I’d get to meet you!” She stated excitedly.   
“I was hoping to meet you my first night here, but Whitley explained to me that you were at your boyfriend’s house.”   
“Yeah, I mostly spend the entire weekend at his place. But since Whitley was gone I stayed a couple extra days. Tori and I will probably stay here this weekend though, maybe we can have a girl’s night and get to know each other better.”   
“That would be awesome, I’m in desperate need of a girls night.”  
She opened her mouth to say something else but we were interrupted by a police officer.  
“That him?” He asked bluntly.  
“Yes sir.” I replied.  
The officer asked me several questions, took down my name and threw the criminal into the back of his cruiser. Clara hooked her arm in mine and we walked together to the apartment. For someone I had just met, I felt like I had known her forever. I could tell we would be very close friends.

When we entered the apartment the whole place smelled like cookies. Whitley was busy doing dishes and a girl who I assumed must be Tori was placing the cookies onto a plate. Whitley took one look at me and immediately rushed to my side.  
“What on earth happened to you?” Her voice was shrill with worry as she stared at the scraps of my shirt.  
I felt the blood rush to my face. In all my worry I had completely forgotten that my shirt was torn into a million shreds and barely hanging on my body.  
“I was attacked in the parking garage.” I replied.   
Whitley ushered me to sit down at the bar as Clara poured me a glass of wine.   
“He followed me from the restaurant, he kept his distance at first, probably because of all the people crowding the sidewalk. But once I was alone he dragged me into the dark and started trying to tear off my clothes. I tried to fight him off but he was just too strong for me.” A tear rolled down my cheek as I told her the story, “I don’t know what would have happened to me had a stranger not helped me. He fought him off and tied him up so that the police could take him into custody.”  
Whitley’s look of concern didn’t fade. She pulled me into a hug and all I could do was whimper into her hair.   
“Thank God there was someone there to help you. I should have never left you to close alone.”   
“No, Whit. It wasn’t your fault. What are the odds of that happening on my second night in the city?”  
“The odds are pretty high actually. The city is a pretty dangerous place.”  
Whitley looked to Clara and Tori, “We’ll have to get the guys to watch the restaurant before we leave each night.”  
They both nodded in agreement. I wiped the tears from my eyes and cheeks before drinking my entire glass of wine in one gulp.  
“This might be a bad time for introductions…but I’m Tori.” She stated as she pulled me into a hug as well.  
Tori was a very youthful looking girl, she looked about four or five years younger than the rest of us. Her sandy blonde hair was cut into a short bob reaching just below her ears. Her eyes were big and brown and held a playful spirit to them.  
“Nice to finally meet you, I’m Sarah.”  
“Whitley has told us soooo many stories about you two as kids. You guys were such trouble makers, had I not grown up in this city my whole life I think we would have been best friends.” She replied with a laugh.  
“Yeah, we definitely got into a lot of trouble as kids. Actually, come to think of it there was not a moment that we weren’t getting into something mischievous.”   
Clara refilled my glass as well as three glasses for my new roommates.  
“Can I just say I love your accent?” Clara smiled.  
“Is it that noticeable?” I almost choked on wine.  
“Come on, Sarah. You know you’ve got a southern drawl.” Whitley laughed.  
“Yeah…I guess I’m going to stand out like a sore thumb in this city.”   
Talking about accents reminded me of the Brooklyn accent owned by my savior earlier.  
“The guy who saved me had a thick Brooklyn accent.” I smiled as I looked down at my glass full of red liquid.  
“What did he look like?” Tori questioned as she leaned in close to me.  
“Well, I didn’t get to see him really. I only caught a glint of silver off of what I’m assuming was his weapon.”  
Tori couldn’t hold in her laugh, “Sound familiar?” She said to both Clara and Whitley.  
“What was he doing here?” Clara asked.  
I was so confused. Did they somehow know the man who saved me?  
“He brought me home, Mikey had some training to do with Master Splinter. He didn’t show up for training this morning…because of me.” She replied with a blush.  
“What are you guys talking about?” I finally asked.  
“We’re pretty sure the guy who saved you was one of Leo’s brothers. Remember how I told you they were ninjas?” Whitely asked and I nodded, “Well when there is someone in trouble they save them…it’s what they do.”  
That’s when I remembered the story that Whitley had told me on the way to New York. Leonardo had saved her when they were both teenagers.  
“What’s his name?” I questioned.  
Whitley smiled really big at my curiosity, “Raphael. He’s the single brother.” Her smile, if possible, grew wider at that.  
“Whitley, she’s too sweet for Raphael.” Clara chimed in.  
“I dunno, I think she’d be good for the hothead.” Tori replied.  
“Whoa guys, calm down, I never said I wanted to date him.” I took a big gulp of wine, “What’re your boyfriends like?”   
Tori was the first to speak, “Well, my boyfriend is the funny one of all his brothers. It’s one of the reasons why I love him so much. He’s such a jokester. Not to mention he’s incredibly easy going, I think he could get along with just about anyone.”  
“His name is Mikey?” I asked wanting to know more about this mysterious group of ninja brothers.  
“Well, Mikey is his nickname, his name is actually Michelangelo.”  
“Wow, that’s a unique name.”  
“All four brothers are named after artists in the Italian renaissance. My boyfriend’s name is Donatello. He’s the brains of the group. He’s such a nerd.” She laughed a little, “But that’s what makes him so amazing, he’s always inventing things to help out his family. He’s basically the sweetest guy I’ve ever met.”  
All three girls had a dreamy look plastered on their faces and I finished my glass of wine before breaking the silence once more.  
“So…tell me about Raphael then.” As much as I hated to admit it, I was curious about him.  
“Well…Raph is…He’s…” Whitley was struggling to find words to describe him.  
“He’s a real ass sometimes.” Tori finished for her.  
“Oh come on Tori…he’s not so bad.” Whitley replied, “Okay yeah, he’s an asshole. But I think he’s just misunderstood. I think he means well, he just lets his temper get the best of him most of the time.”  
“And you wanted to set me up with a guy like that?” I laughed.  
“Well, like Tori said, I think you’d be good for him. You’re so kind hearted, I think you could calm him down some.”  
“Mom always told me never to get into a relationship thinking you could change someone. You’ll only end up hurting yourself and your partner.”  
“I don’t mean change him, I mean keep his temper in check. He doesn’t ever talk about his feelings but something tells me that he’s lonely.” Whitley answered.

Silence fell over our little group and I stifled a yawn.   
“Thanks for the talk girls, you really calmed my nerves.”   
“You can sleep without any worries tonight, Donatello just sent me a text saying that he and the guys would be watching over our building tonight.”  
I wished my new friends goodnight and went to my room. I crawled into bed with my light still on, even if the ninja brothers were watching over us, I can’t be in the dark right now. I closed my eyes and struggled to fall asleep.

Raphael’s POV

When I got back to the sewer den, the whole place was mostly quiet. Aside from the occasional beeping coming from Donnie’s lab. I walked to his lab and knocked roughly on the door.  
“Come in.” He yelled from the other side.  
I pushed open his door. “I think we need to watch the girl’s apartment tonight.”   
“Why did something happen? Clara didn’t call me.” He stated in a panic.  
“Yeah something happened but not to Clara.” I replied, “Or Whitley or Tori.” I finished before he could even ask.  
“Oh…well what happened then?”  
“I was leaving to come back here after I dropped Tori off and I heard a scream. I went to check it out and I saw this guy all in black attacking a girl. Looked like he was about to have his way with her.”  
Donatello’s eyes got wide as I continued the story, “I shoved him off of her and made sure he was good and knocked out before tying him up. I waited for the cops to show up before coming back here. Clara was standing with her when I left. I overheard her saying that she was their new roommate.”  
“Then that must have been Sarah, Whitley’s cousin. She just moved up here from Louisiana.”  
“Well what a good first impression of the city.” I replied.  
“I’ll text Clara and let her know that we will station ourselves outside their building tonight.”   
“You guys can stay in the apartment with them. I can keep watch from outside.” I answered.  
“Raph…you’ve seen several girls attacked and almost raped before. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this torn up from it.”  
“I…well…I…” I rubbed the back of my neck uncomfortably, “Shut up Donnie.”   
I stormed out of his lab and to my room. I heard him chuckle from behind me. It was true that I had witnessed and stopped several ‘men’ from attacking women and not given another thought about it. But something about this girl was different. Not to mention I have never seen someone as beautiful as her. I had a feeling that was unexplainable. I wanted to see more of this girl…knowing that she’s Whitley’s cousin gives me some hope. Maybe I’ll get to meet her eventually.  
But a girl like that would never want a guy like me…what would be the point in meeting her? I slammed my fist into the wall making the stone crumble a little bit behind the force of my hit.


	5. Chapter Five

I tossed and turned the entire night but the noise of the city was too loud for me to doze off. Sighing resignedly I got off the air mattress and flipped on my bedroom light. I tiptoed to my window and peered out at the city. I scanned the building next to ours, looking for any sign of the ninja brothers. Nothing. Just twinkling lights from the skyscrapers and the street below. The apartment was really quiet. Everyone was most likely asleep. Continuing to tiptoe I left my room and entered the kitchen. It seemed it was time to pour myself another glass of wine. I slipped back onto the bar stool and sipped the sweet red liquid. It burned mildly as it traveled down my throat. Feeling incredibly bored I lay my head down on the island. I wished in that moment that my mom was with me. I wished she could see the city with me. She had never been out of Louisiana either and had always wanted to visit her sister, we just never had the money for a trip. I had never really had a problem with never leaving the swampy town I grew up in. I had her and that was all that mattered. 

I let out a shaky sigh and turned my attention back to my glass of wine. I finished it all and put my head back on the counter. My eyes were starting to feel heavy and I finally let sleep claim me. 

It felt like I had only just dozed off when I heard voices and shuffling feet in the hallway. I kept my head down and barely opened my eyes. In case it was the ninja brothers I had yet to meet. Maybe they would assume I was sleeping and step into view. I heard a male voice speaking and then heard Clara talking as well. Was it morning? I glanced at the living room window and sure enough the sun was beginning to rise. I wasn’t accustomed to being up this early, preferring to sleep until noon or one. I closed my eyes again quickly when I heard their voices getting closer to the kitchen. 

Someone gasped and I heard Clara whisper, “Go back into my room. I’ll put her in bed.”

When I heard her door close I shot my head up and Clara gaped at me in confusion.

“I was awake. Why can’t I meet them?” I questioned. 

“Uh…I…can’t explain it now. But I promise you will meet them soon.”

I shook my head and laughed a little bit. “I am so confused.”

“It’ll make sense when you finally do meet them.” She replied.

“Yeah, Whitley said that too.” I slid off the bar stool and made my way back to my bedroom. Quickly I hurried to my window and tried to see if I could see them one more time.

There on the building next to our apartment was a silhouette of a person on the roof. I could barely make out what they looked like because even in the light of the rising sun they were shrouded in shadow. I watched the figure intently, hardly blinking. But then, right before my very eyes they were gone and I could see no more of them. I stomped out of frustration and left my room to shower. I was much too awake to go back to bed. 

Once I was out of the shower I got dressed and attempted to fix my hair. It just fell flat to my head. The weight from the length of it kept it from having any type of volume. Whitley   
was in her room but I could hear music playing inside so I knocked a few times on her door. She opened the door and her beautiful smile was so contagious I smiled too. 

“You’re up early.” She stated as I entered her room and went to sit on her bed.

“I fell asleep at the island in the kitchen with a glass of wine in hand.” I laughed.

“Oh. Rough night?” She questioned as she stood in front of her mirror putting on her makeup.

“Yeah. It’s too noisy outside to sleep. Plus, I was really missing mom last night.” I replied.

She looked at me pitifully and I quickly shook the frown from my face and changed the subject. 

“I tried to catch a glimpse of Donatello this morning but Clara told him to go back to her room so I wouldn’t see him once she found me pretending to sleep in the kitchen.”  
Whitley laughed loudly, “You little sneaky sneak.”

“Yeah, well, I’m desperate. Not knowing is making me crazy and I typically don’t concern myself with being nosy so I feel very unlike myself.” I continued to laugh at how silly I was being. 

“Well, I have some news. Leonardo stayed the night with me last night.”

“I figured as much.” 

She smiled wider, “He told me that he spoke with his sensei, they got his permission to meet you.”

“Really!?” I felt so excited.

“Yeah, they’re going to come over tomorrow night and introduce themselves.”

“You have no clue how excited I am for some reason.” I replied, laughing more.

I loved being with Whitley. Her fun loving sweet personality could shake me from any bad mood. It had always been that way. When we were little we had a pet snake. Just a small little guy that was green and stayed in our garden. We would search him out every day and pick him up so that he could slither around our arms. One hot summer morning when we ventured out to the field he typically resided in we found him dead and pecked to pieces by crows. Both of us distraught at the sight and loss of our reptile friend, wept on each other’s shoulders. That afternoon as the sun began to set we held a funeral for him and buried him right there amongst the flowers. The little make shift cross we made still stood there to this day. She had comforted me in such a way that by the time night fell we were giggling and talking about all the things he was probably doing in snake heaven.

I was shook from my reverie when she started talking again, now that she was finished applying her mascara. 

“They would come tonight but they have business to attend to. One of their friends called Leo this morning and said they needed to speak with them tonight so I’ll be alone.”  
She looked down at the prospect of being alone so I stood from the bed and put my arm around her shoulder.

“Well then, I guess when we get home from the bar tonight we should definitely watch Dirty Dancing.”

“Yes! Oh wow, I haven’t watched it in so long!” She perked up immediately. “Remember when we would wait for our moms to go to sleep and then we would sneak and watch it?”

“Of course I remember! Ugh, Patrick Swayze is so dreamy in that movie.” I sighed.

Whitley snorted, “I thought for sure I would grow up and marry that man.”

We left her room and made our way to the front door. It was already time to go and get ready to open the restaurant. Once behind the bar I began setting up my things for the night, which included only a few things like, preparing a salt bowl to dip margarita glasses in, slicing lemons, and restocking napkins. The whole process took a total of twenty minutes.

Now with nothing really to do, I wiped down the already spotless bar. I was completely lost in thought when a tall man with shoulder length black hair approached me. I would have never even acknowledged his presence had he not cleared his throat to catch my attention.

“Oh sorry, we’re not quite open yet.” I told him.

“I know. I’m here to see Whitley. Is she around?” He asked as he looked all around the restaurant.

“She’s in the office, who are you if you don’t mind my asking.” A part of me wondered if it was Leonardo and at the thought of that I felt almost disappointed. He wasn’t at all what I imagined. 

“Names Casey Jones.” He stuck his hand out for me to shake. “I’m a friend of her fiancé.”

“Ohhh…” I nodded and shook his hand. “I’m Sarah, Whitley’s cousin.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard of you.” He smiled.

“You have?”

“Raph and I are pretty close, he said he saved you from being mugged the other day.”

“How did he know it was me?” I questioned, “I didn’t tell him my name or anything…”

He didn’t reply this time, he only shrugged his shoulders and went to walk for her office.

“Catch you later, Sarah.”

“Yeah..you too.” I muttered. Why is everyone so secretive about everything! 

After my introduction with the man named Casey Jones, the night passed by incredibly fast. If I thought my first night was busy, it had nothing on Thursday night. I made so many drinks that my arms were tired from reaching to pull bottles down and shaking margarita shakers. Not to mention my back ached from the constant bending. The restaurant stays open later Thursday-Saturday and two A.M. couldn’t come fast enough. Whitley came out of her office at midnight. She was finally done with everything.

“Mind if I head home? The guys will make sure nothing happens to you when you’re going home tonight.” She said.

“Sure, I’ll see you when I get there.”

She waved bye and pushed open the front door.

Around one forty five I was washing down all my glasses when a rather attractive guy came and sat at the bar.

“Got time to pour a shot for you and me?” He asked smoothly. 

“Sure, I have the time. Do you?” I smiled at the stranger. What? Was I flirting?

He was incredibly attractive. I studied the features of his face as I poured the two shots of Patron that he requested. His skin was smooth and a small amount of black stubble covered his chin. His hair was dark and short, with an almost messy look to it. He was dressed very well, in a suit and tie. But I could see that his hands had tattoos on them. Which only added to the appeal of the well-dressed man. 

We both knocked back our shots and I leaned on the bar to study his tattoos. One on his right hand was an intricate little symbol with twisting vines making five triangles into a shape almost reminiscent of a star.

“What does this symbol mean?” I caressed the back of his hand. What was wrong with me? I’m never this forward.

“Nothing really. I just liked it. Picked it off the wall of the shop.” He replied. “What about you? Got any tattoos with meaning?” Oh wow, his smile was breathtaking.

“I have one…it’s a snake.” I lifted up my shirt just a little to show him the green snake tattooed on my hip.

“Very nice.” He replied. “What’s your name bartender?”

“Sarah.” I smiled, “And yours?”

“Xander.”

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you Xander.”

“It’s nice to meet you as well, Sarah. It seems I’ll have to make this little place a regular place to get my drinks.” He winked at me and I swear I felt my heart leap from my chest. I had never met anyone so suave.

“May I walk you home, Sarah?” His voice was rich and the sound of my name on his lips made me quiver unwillingly.   
Shit.

“I’d really like that. Give me just a minute to shut off the lights and put these glasses away.”

 

Fifteen minutes later Xander and I were walking from the restaurant to the apartment. 

“So, Sarah. Tell me where you’re from.”

“Louisiana. I’ve only been here in the city a few days.”

“Lucky for me then.” He replied and I felt a blush creep to my cheeks.

“What about you? You have a wonderful accent.” I stated without looking up at his face. I’m sure the blush on my face was bright red by now.

“I moved here a few years ago from London, England.” He replied.

“I thought it sounded like a London accent.” 

“How do you like the city?” 

“It’s so beautiful. Very, very different from what I’m used to. I truly enjoy my new job too.” I finished.

I stopped walking when we arrived at the apartment building. “Well, this is me.” 

“Thank you for offering me your company tonight, Sarah. I hope to see you again soon.” 

“And I hope to see you again soon. I’ll be at the restaurant all weekend if you find yourself wanting someone to talk to.” I replied uncharacteristically smooth. I was never this good when it came to talking to guys.

“Good night then, Sarah.” He said, and turned to walk back in the direction we had came from.

“Good night.” I stated almost breathlessly. 

When I went into the apartment Whitley and Tori were sitting on the couch talking about something and Clara was in the arm chair completely absorbed in a book.

“You’re home!” Whitley yelled from the couch.

“Yep, I’m going to go change. I’ll be right back.”

I changed quickly. My mind still completely preoccupied with Xander. The most dashing stranger in existence.

I snuggled down into the couch in between Tori and Whitley. 

“What are you so smiley about?” Whitley questioned, her smile mirroring the size of mine.

Dirty Dancing started up on the TV and I answered her question, my face burning with a blush.

“I talked to a guy at the bar tonight.”

Whitley almost looked disappointed. “Oh.”

“Oh? Don’t you want to hear about it?”

“Yes of course I do.” She smiled again, “I guess I just got my hopes up about you and Raphael.”

“But Whit…I haven’t even met him yet.” I laughed.

“I know I know. Just never mind, tell me about this guy.”  
Clara put her book down and Tori scooted a bit closer to hear about Xander.

“He was such a gentleman, tall, dark and handsome. Oh, and he has tattoos. Not to mention his gorgeous English accent.” I sighed, “But what am I saying, he only just walked me home. It’s not like it was a date or anything.”

“Do you think you’ll see him again?” Tori asked.

“He said he was going to become a regular at Lush.”

“So, it sounds like he plans on pursuing you.” Clara concluded.

“Maybe, maybe not. I become almost like a shrink to some of my customers.” I laughed, “People tell bartenders all their problems. He probably just needs someone to talk to.”

“Yeah, talk. I’m sure that’s the only thing on his mind.” Tori chortled.

“Oh come on, I have no clue. I only just met the guy.”

“I guess we’ll see then won’t we?” Whitley said simply.

We all turned our attention back to Dirty Dancing. The movie quickly sucking us all in. 

When the film ended we all said our goodnights and retired for the night. Of course I had trouble sleeping again. Because now not only did I have the anxiety of meeting the brothers in a few hours, but Xander was also taking up a large portion of my thoughts. Never before had a man had such an effect on me. It was bizarre.  
Eventually I fell asleep and when I woke up I could hear a vacuum going in the living room. I quickly slid my pants on and left my room. Whitley had her hair in a bun on top of her head and she was cleaning furiously. I almost laughed at the look of determination on her face. She noticed me and turned off the cleaner.

“We’re not going to open tonight. Leonardo told me that you will also be meeting their sensei. I have got to get this house clean.”

“But…Whitley, it’s already clean. Like spotlessly clean. I’m going to meet their sensei?”

“Yes. I was really surprised, but apparently he wanted to meet you for himself.”

“Oh..Ok. That’s exciting, I guess. I really am anxious to meet your lucky guy.”

“He’s simply wonderful.” She smirked.

“Is there anything I can help with?” I asked, hoping with all hope that she would say no.

“Actually yeah, could you scrub the shower please?”

Damn. “Sure. I’ll get right on it.”

I left the living room for the bathroom. After searching under the sink I found the cleaner and set to work cleaning the already very clean bathtub.

The day slowly dragged on. But finally it was night and we were all just nervously waiting for them to arrive at the apartment. I wondered if they would use the front door, or if they would go in through the windows. Honestly I was hoping for the latter. That would be incredibly fun to witness. A few light taps came from the direction of Whitley’s room. She left the living room silently and I heard her speaking just beyond the wall. 

She came out alone. “Are you ready? Please don’t scream. We don’t need the neighbors calling the cops.”

“I’m ready. I promise I won’t scream.” I nodded.

“Ok. Come on out guys.” 

My heart was pounding. I couldn’t figure out why I was so nervous. 

One by one these tall green creatures walked out of Whitley’s room and into the living room. They were followed by a smaller creature that resembled a rat. I could do nothing but stare at them in bewilderment.

I realized I was just standing there gawking at the five of them when I suddenly blurted out, “What the fuck is that? Is this some kind of joke?”

Whitley look confused, and frowned at me. 

“Are those costumes?” I said almost laughing.

“No, Sarah. This is Leonardo.” She stated as she put her hand on his green arm. “And these are his brothers,” She motioned to each masked creature. 

“My name is Michelangelo, it’s great to finally meet you, Sarah.” It spoke! He had an almost California surfer like accent and he reached his green three fingered hand forward to shake mine.

“Oh. My. God.” I mumbled. “This is real. This is really real isn’t it?” I said a little too quickly. My vision was getting a little blurry. “I need to sit down.”

“Yes of course, please sit down.” Clara ushered me to the couch. “The one in the purple mask is my boyfriend, Donatello.”

“I just don’t understand. How? How is this possible?”

That is when the creature that was the smaller in stature of the five, the one that looked like a rat stepped forward. He came to sit beside me on the couch. There he placed his hand on mine and I didn’t flinch away. He had such a calm about him. 

“That is why I have chosen to introduce myself to you, young woman. My name is Master Splinter. I wanted to be the one to explain to you who we are and how we came to be.”

I nodded and he continued, “Long ago in Japan, I was a man. I haven’t always looked this way. I was once known as Hamato Yoshi. I was the Shidoshi of a powerful group called the Foot Clan. One of my own students, a man by the name of Oroku Saki framed me for an attempted murder on a visiting master sensei. I was exiled here, to New York, where I was forced to live in the sewers in shame. Over time I bonded with the rats and found four baby turtles. But I was not left to live in exile in peace. Oroku Saki came to New York with a plan to kill me. He dumped mutagen, a green slime like substance, into the sewer. It did not kill me. But it turned me into what I am. My DNA mingled with the rats and the turtles are who are standing before you.” He concluded his story.

After some time of staring at him with my mouth wide open, I quietly said, “Woooow.”

He laughed gently at me and I tried to smoothen my facial expression. 

“This is literally the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Whitley laughed and pulled me over to meet Leonardo. I shook his hand.

“Nice to finally meet you, Leonardo. I was beginning to think I’d never meet the guy that Whit is absolutely crazy about.”  
It looked like if he could blush, he would be right now. Whitley was clinging to his arm and staring up at him with a smile on her face. It made me feel so happy to see her happy. Even if I was a bit disturbed. I mean, I don’t think it was wrong of me to feel disturbed. They aren’t exactly the same species. If he can talk and walk and act like a human is it beastiality? I quickly shook the thought from my head. That was an incredibly nasty thing for me to think. I should give them a chance. I’m sure they’re wonderful if they make these great girls feel good. They are all obviously very in love. I looked at each of the couples. All of them standing close to one another. That’s when I noticed the darker green guy in a red mask standing off to himself looking a little bit annoyed. He noticed me staring and looked even more annoyed.

“What are you lookin’ at?” He asked in a gruff Brooklyn accent.

I was taken aback and Donatello hit him on the arm. “Don’t be a jerk.” He told him.

“She’s the one over there gawkin’ at us and acting like we’re the ugliest things she’s ever seen.” He stated obviously pissed.

“I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to gawk.” I said as I looked down at my feet. My face was on fire. 

“Yea. Sure.” He mumbled.

An awkward silence hung in the air, and Whitley looking extra perplexed, tried desperately to lighten the mood.

“So, anyone up for pizza?” She asked as she pulled out her phone.

“Duh. We’re always up for pizza.” Mikey stated as he pulled Tori down to sit on his lap in the arm chair. She giggled and kissed him on the cheek. 

Me and my stupid facial expressions. I cocked an eyebrow at the scene and Raphael snorted and walked into the kitchen. I settled back onto the couch, farther away from Splinter this time. While Whitley ordered the pizza, Donatello talked to me in length about my last few days in the city. He was extremely interested in just hearing me speak, because he had never heard an accent quite like mine. Whitley had lost all of her southern drawl from living in New York for so long, and the fact that they were mutant turtles assured me that they most likely didn’t meet varieties of diverse people.

“So you guys are really ninjas?” I asked after he was done grilling me with questions.

“Yeah, Whitley told you that then?” Leonardo laughed.

“It was like one of the first things she said about you.” I remarked, my mood finally starting to lighten up as I warmed up to the mutants.

We all laughed lightly and ate the pizza that must have arrived some time when I was talking Donnie’s head off. Everyone was starting to settle in for the night. With blankets on the floor and some of the lights turned down. Each couple was snuggled up as a movie played in the background. Master Splinter was already asleep at the end of the couch. I noticed that the red masked turtle had never returned back into the room after our initial meeting. I felt bad. I must have truly hurt his feelings. Which comes as no surprise to me, I was pretty rude.

I excused myself from the movie and went to find him. He was standing on the balcony that was attached to Whitley’s bedroom. 

I cleared my throat before speaking, “Raphael?”

“What?” The tone of his voice was still thick with annoyance.

“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about earlier.”

I noticed his posture soften. “It’s ok. At least you didn’t scream.” He chuckled and turned to face me.

I stepped out onto the balcony with him. The air outside was getting cool, but it was a clear beautiful night in the city.

“I miss the stars.” I stated simply.

“You can see the stars.” He replied as he pointed up to the sky.

“Yeah, but not like you can in the country. No light pollution to dull their shine. I never realized how lucky I was to have that until I moved here.”

“There’s lots to love about the city too.” He replied as he looked out at the lights.

“I know. I really do like it here. But Louisiana will always be my home.”

“I get dat.” He said. His accent was so thick. None of the other brothers sounded much like what you’d think a New Yorker would sound like. But Raph did.

I smiled, and to my surprise the grump smiled with me.

“Want to go in there? I think I have some cold beer in the fridge.” 

“Sure.” He shrugged and followed me into the kitchen.

I popped the tops off two beers and we both sat down at the island. We talked until everyone else went to bed. I was so surprised at what I had found out about him. He was like your typical bad boy type. With a motorcycle and attitude to match. We discussed our favorite B horror movies and how much we both loved the band Pantera. 

“Well, my favorite album of theirs is Far Beyond Driven.” I stated as I opened another beer.

“Mine too. Shedding Skin is probably my favorite song but it’s really hard to choose.”

“Same.” I smiled and we both laughed quietly. “I can’t believe those party poopers crashed early.”

“Yea, they do that.” 

“Wanna play cards?” I asked as pulled out my worn out deck of cards.

“Sure, what game?”

“Blackjack?”

“I’m down.” He smirked.

We played blackjack for hours. I beat him nearly every time and it was hilarious to me to see him get so competitive. Before either of us realized, the sun was breaking into the sky.

“Oh shit, I should probably get some sleep. I have to be at work at three and I haven’t gotten any sleep.” I said as I stared at the pile of beer bottles surrounding us. “Plus, I’m a bit drunk.” 

He chuckled at me. “I am too. I should probably crash for a few hours. I can’t leave in the daylight anyway.”

For the first time since I first met him I realized again that he wasn’t just a regular guy I was hanging with, it was a mutant turtle. But I had had such a wonderful night with him, it began to bother me less and less that we weren’t of the same species. He was just like any other person. That’s when I realized how easily it must have been for Whitley, Tori, and Clara to fall in love with them. Not saying that I could easily fall in love with Raphael. I didn’t foresee any chance of that. I almost laughed at the very thought of it. Although, I could definitely see this blossoming into a wonderful friendship.

“Well, good night…er…good morning I guess I should say.” And we both shared another laugh.

“Good morning.” He replied, and we parted ways. 

I fell asleep as soon as I lay down on my air mattress.


	6. Chapter 6

Had that all just been a dream? The thought echoed through my head when I woke up to the sound of my alarm a few hours after drifting to sleep. I walked into the living room to confirm that it had indeed been real life. Raphael lay in the floor covered by a blanket. He was snoring loud enough to wake the dead. I noticed that Master Splinter was still in his spot on the couch, only he was awake and had a cup of tea in his hand. 

“Good morning.” I spoke to him.

“Good morning, Sarah.” He nodded at me and I went into the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee.

Tori and Michelangelo soon joined me in the kitchen. Both were smiling ear to ear and laughing about something I was unaware of. The same bewilderment from last night passed through my mind. How does their sexual relationship work? Are they like other men? My mind was really running away with me. 

'Stop thinking about their genitalia, you freak.' I internally scolded myself. 

“What’s up, Sarah?” Tori asked as she pulled some mugs down from the cabinets.

“Ah, you know. Getting ready to leave for the bar soon.”

“Yeah, I think Clara and I will come hang out for a bit tonight.” 

I poured the rich dark liquid into three mugs. 

“Thanks dudette.” Michelangelo commented as he grabbed his mug and went to sit in the living room.

“Maybe you guys can catch a glimpse of Xander.” I stated dreamily.

“Did you have a nice night with Raph?” Tori quickly changed the subject.

Feeling a little bewildered I simply replied, “Yes, it was really fun to hang out with him. He’s a pretty cool guy.”

Her smile was huge upon hearing me say that. 

I quickly pulled her beside me and whispered in her ear, “Don’t get any ideas though. He’s a nice guy, but I highly doubt we’ll be anything more than friends.”

Her shoulders slumped somewhat at that and I felt a pang of guilt. I understand that they saw an opportunity to make the lonely brother unlonely when I came into their lives. In theory, it would be perfect. It’s not like the poor dude can go out and pick up chicks or anything.

“Well, then, at least he’ll have someone to talk to when his brothers are preoccupied with us.” She finally spoke.

“Yeah, we actually have quite a bit in common. I’m definitely looking forward to hanging out with him more. Just as friends.” I quickly emphasized. 

She nodded and left my company to join Michelangelo in the living room. By this point Raphael was awake. Mostly because Mikey was pestering the shit out of him. It was pretty funny actually. 

“Mornin’.” He said as he came into the dining area with me.

“Morning…again.” I laughed and he joined me. “Did you sleep ok? I’m sure the floor wasn’t very comfortable.” 

“I’ve slept on worse.” He grinned.

“Well, as much as I’d like to stand and chat. I have to get ready for work.” 

“Alright.” He looked like he wanted to say something else but thought better of it.

But before I could make it all the way to the bathroom door he grabbed my shoulder. The look on his face was a little more apprehensive than before.

“You…uh…you think you’ll be free tonight?” He asked as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

“I’m sure I will be. Why?”

“Uh…I dunno. The guys are always with their girls and I just thought that maybe we could watch a movie or somethin’.” 

“Sounds great. Maybe something with gore.” I replied as I stepped into the bathroom.

A smile lit up his face.

“I’ll talk to you later.” I closed the door to the bathroom and proceeded to get ready for the day.

 

The restaurant was slammed when I arrived there. The other two bartenders that worked with me were both scrambling around trying to get drink orders filled so I jumped right into the madness. Hours flew by and it was all I could do to keep up with the amount of orders pushing in. I finished making three Jagerbombs before finally excusing myself to the restroom. I had been holding my pee for at least four hours.  
Once I was completely relieved I made my way back to my station. That’s when I noticed Xander sitting in the same bar stool he had sat in a couple nights prior. He smiled when he caught sight of me.

“I was beginning to think I’d never get a seat next to you in this mad house.” He talked over the music.

“I was wondering if I would see you tonight.” The stupid blush I couldn’t hide was returning to my cheeks.

“I wouldn’t miss it, Sarah.” 

The music changed from fast pace to a more slow, chill melody. The bar was finally starting to calm down as it neared the last call. Again I leaned against the wood grain so that I could refill his drink. He grabbed my wrist just as I was sitting the bottle down.

“Do you have a last name, Sarah?” My name rolled off his tongue in the most beautiful way.

“Morgan. My name is Sarah Morgan.” I replied. “What about you mystery man?”

“Hawthorne.” He said after he took a sip of his bourbon. 

“Xander Hawthorne. You sound like a TV detective or something.” I said with a small laugh.

“It’s a family name. I’m a fifth generation of the name Xander Hawthorne.”

“Wow, my mom just named me after a Fleetwood Mac song.” I replied and we both laughed.

He was telling me all about his wealthy family in England and I was so enthralled in his story. His life almost sounded like a novel. His father and his grandfather ran a very successful business and he himself had been sent to America to run the branch here in New York.

“So, what kind of business is it?” I asked and refilled his glass.

“We make weapons.” He replied. “It’s not exactly glamorous, but my family has been designing and creating guns since the mid 1800’s. We specialize in collector weapons. Most of our guns are too pretty to use.” He snorted into his drink.

I laughed too. “Well, being from Louisiana, guns are something I’m familiar with.”

“Oh good then, so this entire conversation hasn’t bored you to tears.” 

“Of course not. I enjoy talking to you.” I said as I moved in closer to him.

I was just staring into his smoky blue eyes when I heard someone next to me clear their throat. Whitley, Clara and Tori were all standing on the opposite side of Xander. I hadn’t even noticed they were there.

“Oh, hey girls.” I responded as I slowly backed away from Xander.

“Who’s your friend?” Clara questioned.

“Xander Hawthorne.” He replied and stuck out his tattooed hand to shake hers. “And who might you lovely ladies be?” 

“My name is Clara and this is Whitley and Tori.”

They both said hello but none of them shook his hand. I raised my eyebrow at them but they paid no attention to how rude they were being.

“It’s time to close up.” Whitley smiled. “I’m ready to get out of here.”

“Ok, give me two shakes and I’ll be ready to go.”

I turned to clean up the glasses and Xander reached across the bar to tap my back.

“Would it be possible for me to get your number?” His voice was smooth as silk.

“Yes…definitely.” The ever so present blush making its way back to my cheeks.

I pulled out a pen and wrote my number on the back of a business card.

“I’ll call you.” He smiled.

“I look forward to it.”

With that he was gone. Once I finished clearing the sink of glasses, I joined the girls by the exit.

“You gave him your number?” Whitley must have observed the exchange earlier.

“Yeah. I hope he calls me or texts me soon.”

“You really like him, don’t you?” She asked me as we made our way down the dark and busy sidewalk.

“I do. He’s so charming and I can’t believe he’s interested in me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man as attractive as he is.”

“Looks aren’t everything you know.” Tori chimed in.

“Oh but it isn’t just his looks, he has a great personality from what I can tell. I hope to learn more about him.” My voice still holding the dreamy quality to it.

We arrived at the apartment and all four guys were still there. The only one missing was Master Splinter. I assume he was tired of hanging around all the young people for so long. Raphael looked extremely happy to see me. I hoped that he wasn’t getting the wrong idea about us.

“Hey, Sarah.” He said as he approached me.

“Hey Raph.”

“So, I was wondering if you wanted to take a ride on my bike.” He was nervously rubbing the back of his neck again.

“I would actually really love that. Let me just grab a jacket.” 

I went to grab my jacket and when I came back into the living room he was wearing a leather jacket and holding two helmets. He handed me one.

“I’m going to go down the balcony. I’ll meet you at the bottom on the side street beside the apartment.” He said.

“Ok, I’ll meet you down there.”

Once down on the street I approached him standing beside his motorcycle. It was sleek black with shiny chrome fixtures.

“Niiiiice.” I stated as I ran a finger over the cool metal.

“She’s my pride and joy.” He commented as he slid his helmet on.

I buckled mine on too and sat behind him on the bike. I wrapped my arms around his middle and he started up the engine. It roared to life and moments later the wind was whipping around me. I loved the feel of freedom as we sped through empty streets that I’m sure he was all too familiar with. It seemed he had every vacant section of the city memorized. We rode for a long time before we came to a stop next to the apartment building again. 

“That was so much fun!” I couldn’t stop smiling. He was smiling too.

“We should go to the den and hang out. The others aren’t exactly fond of horror movies.” He paused for a minute. “I mean, that’s if you’re still up for watchin’ a movie.”

“Yeah of course. I’ve been curious about where you guys live anyway. So, how do we get there?”

He pointed behind me and I glanced over my shoulder. The street ended with a dead end.

“What?”

“We gotta go down into the sewer.” He replied.

“Uh…excuse me? The sewer?”

“Yes. Remember when Splinter told you he had to live in the sewers?” I nodded my head yes, “We still live there. But don’t worry we have a great home. I think you’ll be surprised. Whitley was the first time she came over.”

“Ok…”

He lifted the lid to the sewer below and climbed down. I followed not long after.

“This is so gross.” I commented.

“You get used to it.” He was walking just a short ways ahead of me so I followed him.

We walked for a few minutes going down all sorts of different paths to get to the place the turtles called home. He stopped abruptly and I ran smack into his shell.

“This is it.” He pulled a couple levers and the brick slid to the side, similar to a sliding door.

“Whoa.” I commented.

He laughed at my amazement and we entered their home. 

It really was incredible. I could have never imagined that such a place existed under the streets of New York. The space was huge. There looked to be just one large open room that I assumed they used as a living room. There were a bunch of squashy looking pieces of furniture all placed around an incredibly large television. A few arcade games stood beeping off to the corner. There were a couple of train cars off to the side.

“So did this used to be part of the subway or something?” I asked him.

“Yea. Hasn’t been for quite some time though, as you can see.” He laughed and I followed him to the kitchen.

He tossed me a beer.

“So, did you have a movie in mind?” I asked him as I took a swig of my beer.

“Not really, but we can go look at my collection if ya want.” He replied.

“Yeah. Let’s do that.”

I followed Raphael to the back part of the den. Where I assumed his room was. He pushed open the door and we entered the room. It looked like a hurricane had passed through the small room.

“Don’t mind the mess.” He told me as we weaved through stuff on the floor to get to the shelf on the wall that held his movie collection.

I scanned the row of dvds and my eyes landed on The Evil Dead. 

“This one. Definitely this one.” I stated and pulled the movie off the shelf.

“Good choice.” He remarked.

We settled onto the broken down couch and popped the flick in. Throughout the movie we laughed at how silly some of the gory scenes were. At some point during the movie he had scooted close to me and I just continued to pretend to not notice. I really wanted to avoid an awkward conversation tonight. I scooted just a little bit away from him and he seemed to get the message because he stopped trying to get close to me after that.

The movie ended and I was starting to feel pretty tired.

“Mind if I crash here on the couch for tonight? I really don’t feel like walking back to the apartment tonight and I don’t work tomorrow so there’s really no point in it.”

“Actually I was gonna suggest that to ya.” Raphael said. “I’ll just grab ya some blankets.”

He left the room and I let out the breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. It was blatantly obvious to me that he was interested in me. As much as I wanted to avoid the awkward friend zone conversation, I knew that it was inevitable. In the end I decided to wait and tell him in the morning. No sense in bringing it up tonight.  
Raphael returned again with a couple blankets draped over his arm and a pillow in his hand. 

“I hope this will be enough blankets.” 

“That should be fine.” I responded.

I set up my bed on the couch and got under the blankets. He flipped off the light in the den.

“Night Raph.” 

“Night Sarah.”


End file.
